A safe return to Birmingham Gymnastics Academy Spring 2021

Dear Gymnasts, Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to Birmingham Gymnastics Academy. We re-open on Monday 12th April 2021.

We are really looking forward to welcoming you back to the gym. Everyone’s safety is our number priority and things may look slightly different when you return to gymnastics next week.

We would like to ask for your support to explain the new procedures to your child to ensure they are aware of requirements in order to safely return to the gym.

The new processes are highlighted below to help to prepare your child to start enjoying their gymnastics.

  1. If you or any member of your household experiences any of the Covid 19 symptoms, or is isolating, you should not come to the gym. It would be appreciated if you could call the gym to explain any absence, especially for health reasons.
  2. Parents and coaches are reminded that anyone at home who is deemed vulnerable (new and expectant mother, elderly) should not attend any sessions until further notice.
  3. Preparing to come to gymnastics classes –gymnasts should arrive changed and ready to participate, with a bottle of water. Please ensure your child’s British Gymnastics membership is up to date.
  4. Please ensure your child has used the toilet before arriving at the gym. Gymnasts will be able to use the toilet inside the gym if necessary.
  5. Only arrive at the gym a few minutes before your class starts. There will not be anywhere within the gym to wait. Parents should drop off their child as only gymnasts are allowed into the building. Gymnasts will be brought into the gym by staff and coaches and collected via the fire exit at the side of the gymnasium, after the coaches have signed them out. Please take care to observe social distancing rules, particularly when collecting children at the end of the session.
  6. Secondary school children must wear a face mask when entering and exiting the gym.
  7. There is a 15 minute gap between classes to limit contact between groups.
  8. Structured and supervised adult & toddler sessions are covered by the risk assessment provided all participants have the capability to adhere to current COVID 19 guidance. These sessions are controlled by allowing one adult to directly supervise one child only. We politely ask that siblings and additional adults do not attend as we are limited on the number of people allowed in the gym at one time.
  9. Drop in classes including toddlers and adult drop in sessions will not be able to run in the initial phase of our return to gymnastics. The situation will be monitored closely and updated as soon as it is safe to do so.
  10. In the gymnastics centre gymnasts will be asked to sanitise using hand gel provided by the gym on arrival and before exiting the gym.
  11. The gym has been organised to allow training to take place with appropriate 2m social distancing. Posters are in place to guide and advise gymnasts. There will also be a one way system to minimize social contact.
  12. Where possible participants will work with specified coaches each session, who have been trained in special arrangements for coaching in the current circumstances to minimize contact. If any child exhibits symptoms during the sessions, they will be placed in a separate room and you will be contacted immediately to collect them from the entrance at the back of the gymnastics centre.
  13. At the end of each the session the equipment in the gym will be cleaned by staff. When gymnasts have completed their sessions they can be collected from the fire exit at the side of the gym. Children who are not collected have to be isolated to hinder cross contaminate with new comers. This will also take a coach out of the gym so please make every effort to collect your child on time. If you are going to be late to collect your child please contact us ASAP.

If you have any questions please speak to a member of Birmingham Gymnastics Academy staff via 07736 731474. or 0121 455 0239

We would like to let you know that we have an appointed a COVID officer, Lesley Browne to monitor the welfare of all attendees to the premises, staff and members alike. Lesley will oversee our COVID risk assessment and mitigation plan, ensuring all staff are inducted and trained to keep the gym as safe as possible for our children and their families.

We look forward to welcoming you back into the gym from Monday 12th April and ask you to check the class times as some times have changed to enable cleaning to take place between each class. If guidelines change in the near future we will post details via social media.

In the meantime, stay safe and take care.

Yours sincerely,

Jessica, Natasha, Lesley, Catherine, Isabel, Sam and Michael.